Avocado Dip

Avocado dip is definitely one of my favourite dip recipes out there. It’s so versatile and nutritious at the same time. You can use the avocado dip with various things such as vegetable sticks, crackers, bread, prawns, fish, chips and even nachos. In addition to all of these, you can also use it as a sauce or filling in various types of wraps. Personally, I hate when wraps are dry. It has happened to me many times where I just want to squeeze ketchup or whatever I find near me, just to get rid of that dry texture. The avocado dip is just the thing to give the wrap that creaminess in one bite. As you can see, the avocado dip is very useful and takes only five minutes to prepare! Kids love it, especially with crackers. It’s an excellent source of vitamins!

Choosing the right avocado

Did you ever experience eating an unripe, tasteless avocado? In my opinion, it’s truly a talent to find the right avocado that’s perfect in terms of texture and flavour. Also, I think it takes a bit of luck. Lucky or not, I can help you with tracking down the perfect avocado for your avocado dip.

First, you must make sure, that you are looking in the right place. Why don’t you try your local farmer’s market on the weekends? You can also try going to premium supermarket stores. Trust me, that avocado will be worth spending the extra money on.

Second, when you do find a place where to buy the avocado from, take a good look at it. You can tell a lot about an avocado just by looking at it. If the size is too small, it will probably be hard. Also, if the colour is too green (lighter than the normal dark green colour), then the avocado is definitely not ripe. Don’t take that one! It will never ripen. Select the avocado that’s almost dark green to dark purple-ish. This one has the highest probability of being ripe. That said, there are different varieties of avocado and only you will be able to learn more about each type available to you.

Third, take the avocado and give it a little squeeze on the top near the stem. If it’s soft, this means the avocado is just about ready. Don’t worry if the avocado is too soft. In fact, the softer, the better and more taste your avocado dip will have. Just whatever you do, don’t pick avocadoes that are not ripe. Watch out though. If an avocado gives way under your touch, it means it’s spoiled.

Cream Cheese

This avocado dip calls for a bit of cream cheese. It just enhances the creaminess of the avocado. Also, I like the fact that the cream cheese adds a little acidity. Instead of cream cheese, you can also use crème fraiche, single or double cream. Honestly, I prefer crème fraiche, preferably a low-fat version. The cream cheese can be heavy for some. The beauty of this avocado dip is, that you can control the consistency and the amount of cream cheese you add. Therefore, you can naturally adjust this avocado dip to your liking.

Vegan alternative

Although this avocado dip is vegetarian friendly, I know that cream cheese or use of any other dairy products is not vegan. I am a very big supporter of vegan food; therefore, I do my best to come up with substitutes. If you have a vegan diet, why don’t you try using soy yogurt? It’s also creamy and totally dairy-free! The soy yogurt even has a lot of probiotics that help stimulate the digestive system.

I’ve also seen suggestions on trying coconut cream. This will give your metabolism a boost. However, go for the non-aromatic coconut cream. Otherwise, coconut with avocado doesn’t sound like too good of a combination. I wouldn’t know. I’ve never tried it.

Lastly, you can try using tofu spread. It might give you a slightly weird consistency. Therefore, I think the soy yogurt is the best vegan alternative. Perhaps silken tofu would work better. What about you guys? Do you have any suggestions?

A bit of juice

The reason behind including a bit of lemon juice is so that the acidity cuts through the fatty avocado and cream cheese. This will also keep the avocado dip from browning. You can also use lime juice for this. Some people have sometimes poured in a bit of white balsamic vinegar into the avocado dip. However, in my opinion, this would ruin the dish. Stick to the citrus fruits. It’s a much better option than vinegar anyway.

Toppings

After you season the avocado dip, I like to top it off with some fresh herbs. Sometimes, I use coriander, spring onions or chives. Honestly, the coriander might be too aromatic for some guests, and the spring onion can be too powerful as well. The chives have just the right balance of flavour and doesn’t overpower the avocado dip. You never know what guests are sensitive to, so it’s best to use a subtler ingredient.

Sides

So, what should you serve the avocado dip with? Just a quick fact, kids love these with crackers and so do guests. This is a great way of making your kids eat their daily veggies. During parties, I like to serve the avocado dip with carrot or celery sticks. You can use other types of crudités. Trust me, these tend to disappear rather fast, so make sure you make enough of the dip. Luckily it only takes five minutes to prepare. Lastly, you can use it as a filling in sandwiches or wraps. Excellent for preparing a quick bite to eat for lunch at work. Add some salad leaves such as spinach and a couple of salmon flakes, and you’ve got yourself a delicious healthy lunch. It will leave your colleagues jealous.

Other ideas

If you fancy using avocado in more ways, you can try making the vegan friendly guacamole. Guacamole is a Mexican inspired avocado dip which includes fresh coriander, onions and tomatoes. It’s as addictive as this avocado dip recipe. The difference is, that it’s vegan and less fatty. If you don’t like to use avocado at all and need ideas for a delicious dip, try the roasted beetroot pistachio dip. This one is also a favourite at parties!